June 9, 2007
Faculty Team Receives Award for Youth Program

Several faculty and staff members from the College of Communications at Penn State have been honored with the 2007 Continuing and Distance Education Award in Innovation because of their roles in popular summer camps conduced by the College.

Those honored were part of the College of Communications Youth Program Team, which gives high school students the opportunity to meet faculty members, experience life on campus and learn about an area of personal interest as part of annual camps that focus on broadcast journalism, filmmaking, photojournalism and sports journalism.

Those honored were:
-- Russ Eshleman, senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism, chair of the high school journalism and sports journalism programs;
-- Rod Bingaman and Maura Shea, senior lecturers in the Department of Film-Video and Media Studies, chairs of the high school filmmakers program;
-- Thor Wasbotten, senior lecturer and general manager of television operations in the Department of Journalism, chair of the broadcast journalism program; and
-- Julie Evak, administrative assistant to the associate dean for undergraduate education.

Also part of the team were several members of the University’s conference-planning unit, including conference planner Pamela Driftmeier, marketing associate Lisa Clapper and staff assistant Diane Burkett.

The award recognized the team’s extraordinary efforts to provide quality programs for high school students and the innovative practices they have evolved over the past six years with the program.

Contact information:
Steve Sampsell
Director of College Relations
Phone: (814) 865-8801
Email:sws102@psu.edu